Former Brentford and Watford goalkeeper Richard Lee is releasing his second book later this month.

The 34-year-old, who released 'Graduation' in early 2012, is now working for Refuel Performance, an agency run by Scott Barron, as well as running his football academies.

And he has had his mind on this project for some time but it was only when he was speaking with Adam Woodage that the book took off and it will be released on October 16.

He said: “I had the first book that came out around five years ago and I enjoyed that experience and took a lot of heart from the feedback.

“I always said then that I'd love to be involved with another one. Ever since writing that it was always a plan.

“I was too busy and maybe a year ago I was away and thoughts came to me about doing something performance based as that's where my passion lies.

“I've delved into it heavily when I did my neuro linguistic programme. I've done so many seminars now and I'm getting an idea about what creates excellent.

“I've put my thoughts together and create something. One of the coaches that works for me at GK Icon went to the same school I went to and he's written four books and we decided to do something together. He plays handball to a high level.

“I said, you understand goalkeeping and you can use my existing notes and create some new content and it can be an addition to the goalkeeping books.

“This is going to be the first of a three part series with the second being a pro and the third life after a pro.

“We started six weeks ago but the book went to print two days ago and we're releasing it on the 16.”

The book is aimed for budding players as well as their parents in order to give them a better understanding of the demands the quest to reach the top.

He added: “The idea is I didn't want it to be a long, extensive book. It's aimed at 12-20 year olds and parents and it's called 'So, you want to become a professional footballer?'

“The idea is we do these launches and operate these schools and we always ask that question. Every kid puts their hand up but I put myself back in the shoes of them when I was their age.

“I was fortunate to muddle my way through and manage a career for myself but it was more luck than judgement.

“It's a guide to allow them to understand that excellence isn't created by accident, it's by design and dedicating yourself to a cause and finding the right path to take and the right things to do and how you can maximise your output to give yourself the best chance.”

In writing the book, Lee's research has led him to admit that he would have done things differently 15, 20 years ago, although he still feels he got the best out of his career at the time.

He reflected: “I would have done things differently. I'm proud of my career and speak positively about it but I look at it.

“It's good and bad. I think sometimes was I meant to be a goalkeeper? Probably not. I'm not the tallest. I'm injury prone but with the knowledge I have now if I was speaking to myself as a 14, 15 year old.

“There are so many things I'd have said to myself back then. I've touched on the injuries; building that base and understanding how you can build that core and you've got a really strong base to build on. When I was doing the power techniques I'd have had that base.

“To understand the mentality required and the criticism is part of life but there's a way you can process it mentally in order to generate positive feelings to take it to the next level rather than shy away, get angry or upset. I think it'd have helped me now.

“I think I've also made the most of what I have. Had I come through the system now as I think if you're going to be a five foot 11, six foot goalkeeper a lot of clubs wouldn't look at you.

“I feel I made the most of what I had but there are ways I wish I'd had some of this knowledge, not just technically, but mentally, tactically, nutritionally and other things I'll touch up in the book to find the extra one per cent and find a better chance of maximising their potential.”

Football is littered with talented players who are not playing at the level their obvious talent suggests they should be and, by and large, the reason for that is a mental one.

Lee mused: “Firstly, it's the passion for what it is that you do. If you're an emotional footballer, you'll struggle in today's game because it will bring so many challenges and if you're up and down it's difficult.

“The biggest advice I have is to have the passion for the game but keep everything internal. Yes, the game is important and you want to win every game and say if I want to achieve my goals it's about having a bigger plan like a 10 year plan and down to a one hour plan if that's the next gym session.

“It's this mindset that you have a learning mindset. You break your game down into a million pieces and find a way to improve it and find someone who can hold you to a higher standard.

“Everyone is going to have good games and bad games. I think if you're the type of player that's game to game often your career is determined by luck and not design.

“You have a good game and feel good but the next week you're lacking confidence and have a bad game.

“When you're going into games feeling confident; you may still lose and have a bad game. But over the course of your career, if you're training harder and smarter with high quality coaching then practice makes permanent.

“If you're getting high quality coaching and not swayed by things that can lure you away in excess. If you look at Ronaldo; he doesn't drink alcohol.

“He's committed to be the best he can be. He's an incredible specimen of a human being. Maybe he's been given certain benefits naturally but he's making the most of them. We've got limitations but not many of us get near that limitation.

“You can see they (Ronaldo and Messi) love football. You don't play like that if you dislike football. They don't have an ounce of fat. It's finding something to improve then you do it.

“I use the word kaizen a lot which is Japanese word that means continuing never ending improvement and understand if you're not moving forward, you're moving backward. You need to be moving forward at all times.”

Clubs, especially in the top flight, are seldom bringing young players through from their academy setups and there is a feeling that a young footballer needs luck, more than anything else, in order to break into a side's first XI.

Lee said: “I think there's the classic quote the harder I work, the luckier I get. I say if you're good enough and take distractions out of your life and fully dedicate yourself to this then you can reach the top.

“There's nothing stopping them getting to that level but a lot of them don't. Often, it's distractions or lack of opportunity but I believe if you're good enough you'll find a way.

“When you get that opportunity, you'll be ready as it won't be down to luck as you'll have done the psychological work to make sure you're prepared.

“You'd then play well and then you're established. If you're young and not getting your break then you make sure you get that loan in order to be on the map and if clubs are looking at you then your parent club needs to put you in the team or they're losing you.

“Ideally, we want all our players playing at all times. You can remove the luck part knowing when the chance comes then that's great and your chance to really shine.

“Scouts are everywhere. You may never play for your parent club. Ben Foster played for England before Manchester United. If he'd waited to be given a chance he may not have had the career he's had.”

There are interviews with Ben Foster, Clarke Carlisle and Adrian Mariappa in the book as the three of them reflect on their experiences.